Thoughts and questions regarding just about everything while taking a daily stroll with my dog.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Feathers As Art? Absolutely!

I like public art. Whether it's in cities like Seattle or on a hillside like the Wild Horse Monument I recently wrote about. We have little in Coeur d'Alene and what we do have seems to be a topic of controversy. As you approach downtown from the Northwest Boulevard exit you will see our feathers. One Eagle, one Osprey. Birds indigenous to our lake country. There seems to be a love/hate relationship about them. Personally, I love them.

I hope those opposed to public art it will read the article in the Spokesman Review about the vibrant and entertaining installation they have over in Port Angeles, WA. Calling it the Avenue of the People the art work was unveiled during one of the city's festivals and what a wonderful addition to the streets it will be.

Locals posed for the funky, abstract images capturing the individual's body language. It includes everything from a very pregnant torso to a pair of dancing senior citizens. What a concept! Involve the people!

It surely makes it fun for the people of Port Angeles, and while not knowing the individuals who posed, visitors cannot help but get a chuckle out of the strolling the "Avenue".

Public art does a lot for a town's image. It doesn't even have to follow a theme though often it does. Think about the interest and how many people came to downtown Coeur d'Alene to see the Moose on parade. We always make it a point to go over to Spokane when they have one of their Fun-d raisers featuring various critters decked out by the local art community.

Install it and they will come - to view it, enjoy it - and maybe even spend some money in your shops and restaurants. Not a bad deal.

3 comments:

Your Feather brought out the poet in me. May I reproduce the feather on my Blog (naming you, of course) with the poem? Thanks in advance.

THE FEATHER

In a million million years (or more)When 'creatures' view our planet,They'll scratch their metal heads and say'That can't be a feather! Can it?We've found evidence of feathersIn pictures of small birds,But this huge feathered objectIs too startling for words!'They'll recreate the creatureThat they think that they have found,And the little metal peopleWill gawp and stand around,Saying'Isn't it gigantic!What a world it must have beenIn the days when birds were big as that!'They'll recreate a sceneIn which birds are flying overheadAs big as jumbo jets.And cages big as hangarsAre built for feathered pets.They'll write long screeds about them,Their weight, their food, their heightAnd they'll never never never knowThat they haven't got it right!

My husband and I love to travel and a few years ago we flew to Seattle, rented a car and drove East,visiting Grand Coulee Dam ,Spokane and then into Coeur D'Alene. The first thing we saw in your city were those beautiful feathers. We still talk about them and ,thankfully, I took a wonderful photograph of them that we look at all the time......